Tagged: goji berries

Keeping the liver healthy is essential to good health. A less than
optimally functioning liver has profound health ramifications for the
entire body. It is not uncommon for most people’s livers to become challenged and
stressed from poor food, toxins, excess protein, alcohol, drugs (over the
counter and prescription), and environmental toxins.

The liver is the largest organ inside the body, the skin technically is our largest organ. The liver is a full on work horse it processes toxins, produces enzymes, antioxidants and filters blood among thousands of other functions. The title of this post is taken from Paul Simon’s hit song 50 ways to leave your lover. I hope you enjoy the humor and suggestions while couched in humor they are helpful and designed to inform.

In this post the aim is to offer you simple easy to apply steps to support a healthy liver. The liver is a work-horse constantly processing for our health and well being. Keeping the liver healthy will lead to an improved feeling of well being as well as mood. In Traditional Chinese Medicine the liver is associated with strong emotions such as anger. A well functioning liver supports us on many levels in achieving a healthy and happy life.

Jake Hopkins the founder and alchemist at Earthling Organics has been supplying the raw food world with his tasty “Goji Bar” since I can remember . . . lets just say for at least the past 8 years! Thank you Chef Jake for your scrumptious service!

The Goji Bar is a real treat, it is crunchy and yielding, sweet and savory, enticing and satisfying. Oh and it has goji berries, so there is just enough chew wrapped up in all of it. It is also a gluten free, grain free and low glycemic snack option. The Goji bar is made with Soaked Almonds, coconut, goji berries, figs, raw agave nectar a touch of sea salt, cinnamon and vanilla.

They are such a popular item at Zebra Organics and they don’t really need too much extra promotion. But we are always attracting new customers and they may not know just how good these unassuming bars are. And, with so much awareness about and interest in tasty gluten free options, I just had to remind everyone that these bars are available. By now you might be interested in trying some, to top it off they are made by hand and certified organic!

Its simple we could all benefit from eating goji berries. Goji berries are truly an amazing food, they contain a full spectrum of amino acids, are loaded with anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals and they are tasty. Imagine, a food so healthy for you that actually tastes good! And they are an amazing color red. Can you think of any other food in the health food world that is anything like the goji berry?

There are tons of vitamin and mineral packed foods out there but are they as snackable? Are you really going to snack on spirulina? No. This is not to put spirulina down but to show how versatile the goji berry is, how it can bridge the health food gap because it tastes good.

Ok but what do they actually do and how should I use them . . . ?

The unique nutritional content of goji berries is supportive to the immune system. The nutritional content of the goji berry includes the following:

18 amino acids

a huge spectrum of caroteniods

vitamin C

zinc

polysaccarides that support the production of HGH (human growth hormone)

Poly (multi) saccaride (sugar), polysaccarides are multi-chained sugars, they occur in wide spectrum and are common in many plants. The variety found in goji berries are of great benefit to helping the body to regulate cholesterol, support the immune system, endocrine system, reproductive system and to nourish the blood.

Their Role in Chinese Medicine
Goji berries are one of the topic medicinal herbs in all of Chinese medicine. This says alot because Chinese medicine contains hundreds of herbs and is roughly 4000 years old (give or take). According to Chinese medicine goji berries nurture our Yin aspect. As such they help to moisten the body and help the body to produce fluids. This is why they are good for the reproductive system.

How to use them?
There are a variety ways of to use the berry, you can:

snack on them

add them to smoothies

add them to trail mixes

last but not least make a tea with them

Goji berries as a tea is one of the most common and traditional ways to use them. It is simple, effective and makes a very good tasting tea. Add a small handful to a cup of water, bring to boil, them let simmer for 15 minutes. Cool, strain and drink. You can use goji berry tea as a base for other teas; it makes a great base for green tea, yerba mate and rooibos.

And, if you have not tried Goji Berry bars yet consider adding one or five of them to your next order, you will not be disappointed. They are crunchy, a bit chewy, sweet and satisfying. In China they say that a handful of goji berries in the morning will keep you smiling all day. In my experience this is true, eat more goji berries and notice how your mood shifts. Try it for your self.